Top House GOPer Calls Out Obama’s ‘Hypocrisy’ On Debt Limit

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), a top House Republican, reminded TPM in an interview that President Obama voted against raising the debt limit while serving as a senator in 2006.

"I think there's a little hypocrisy on the part of the president. When he was in the Senate, he never voted to raise the debt ceiling and actually voted against it," Cole, a deputy majority whip, said. "Lectured everyone on the morality of debt. and is now asking us to do for him what he wouldn't do for George Bush."

"Now I'm prepared to do that. I voted for the last debt ceiling increase," Cole added. "But it was a negotiated deal, which lowerd the long-term deficit by over $2 trillion. I think that's the model, and it's one the president participated in. But he's now unilaterally decided that he never wants to do that again. It's a power grab on his part."

As PolitiFact has reported, Obama has since said that he regrets his 2006 vote against raising the debt ceiling. The White House has pledged not to negotiate this time on lifting the debt limit, which will be reached in mid-October.